Hi everyone. brought this up last spring but it is rearing its ugly head again. I just received a letter from the marina stating during haul out the technicians made the following notes:

Needs Bottom Painting. (I had them bottom paint it last spring)

Outdrive - Noisy Gimbal bearing, Noisy U joints

Cert Pump Leaking water (what is a cert pump?)

Power steering pully is plastic. (should it be something else?)

I have a 1998 Sundancer270 SE with just 110 hours on the Mercruiser Bravo II I/O. They mentioned the Gimbal bearing last spring but said it needed replaced just by listening to it. I talked to another mechanic who stated the outdrive will make diferent noises depending on the position it is in. I am dismayed that they mentioned it needed bottom painted when they painted it last spring. Are they admiting they do shoddy work? I am definately going to get a second opinion which can be difficult as they do not allow outsiders to do work at the marina. I did decide I am going to start doing work myself. They charged me 400 hundred dollars to bottom paint her last spring and as I was preparing her for launch I watched a fellow boater sand,Tape and paint his boat in about 2 hours. I don't mind shelling out cash for needed work but am skeptical about a marina fishing for unneeded work just to survive. Any thoughts? I want to learn how do to my own routine maintenance. I have been boating for 5 years. If I buy the maintenance manual is it that difficult to learn these things? any thought on these topis would be greatly appreciated.

If your are mechanically inclined it will not be difficult to learn how to do basic maintenance, some things like gimbal bearings need special tools, I changed mine in my old boat, alpha, I am auto and heavy truck mechanic so I had access to what I needed to fabricate special tooling for that job. In some cased you will have to buy or find a loaner or rental tool. I will say go to the Mercruiser website with engine and drive serial numbers and purchase the Mercruiser manuals, they are worth every dollar. I had a Clymer manual on the old unit I have Merc on the current unit and there is a lot of difference in the manuals. The major problem will be learning to be a contorsionist to get to things to work on them.

Island Trek, I don't know where you do your boating or how long you keep you boat in the water but I boat in salt water and leave my boat in from April 1st to Oct 30 and every year I need/want to have new paint put on.

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